Grass is greener pt. 4: People who left the Bay Area for Austin

July 17, 2017 4:00 AM

Neil Kohl

41, tech

How long did you live in the Bay Area?

5 years

Are you better off now than when you were living in the Bay Area?

Mas o menos (more or less). We have a nice home where we're not cramped with two kids and there are great public schools. I have a rocking job, but it took a couple of years to find the right opportunity. On the downside, there seems to be lower career mobility, I miss being in a walking city, and the summer heat is brutal.

What do you like most about Austin?

Queso. The Texas 20 is the real deal. Seriously, its easy to live in Austin. People are friendly and everyday stresses are low.

Do you have plans of ever moving back to the Bay Area?

We considered moving back about 1.5 yrs ago for a new job with a better title and more money. We didn't for a couple of reasons but mostly due to the high cost of living for housing, taxes, and schools.

Neil Kohl 41, tech How long did you live in the Bay Area?...photo-10833461.147640 - |ucfirst

Jason Mehta

23, graduate student of engineering

How long did you live in the Bay Area?

16 years

What made you leave the Bay Area?

I originally left for school and I wanted to go somewhere where I was a little out of my comfort zone. When I had the opportunity to go back to the Bay Area I decided not to because I want to be able to buy a house at some point and I'm not sure if that will ever really be feasible for me in the Bay.

What do you like most about Austin?

It reminds me of home. One of the main reasons that I chose to move to Austin is because it is the San Francisco of Texas. There are a lot of places to go hiking in and around the city (at least in the fall and spring time). The people are extremely accepting of people regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The city is also growing pretty quickly and there really isn't a need for it to grow on top of itself because there is plenty of land to allow for outward expansion.

Do you have plans of ever moving back to the Bay Area?

Probably not. I love the nostalgia of the Bay Area but I don't think it is feasible to live there anymore. There are a lot of other really nice cities (like Austin) that are starting to be able to compete with the Bay Area in both atmosphere and job opportunities. And a lot of these other cities can be more affordable to live in, which I think is really important.

What do you miss most about the Bay Area?

The weather is almost perfect year-round. I never fully appreciated how nice it was to never...

We were expecting our first child, wanted to be closer to my family, and fell in love with Austin.

Are you better off now than when you were living in the Bay Area?

Yes, it's more affordable and laid back than the Bay Area. The people are generally friendlier and it feels like home. I would not have been able to live in the Bay Area and stay home with my young daughters, working part-time, send them to our desired preschools, etc.

What do you like most about Austin?

The weather, the arts and music, local businesses, tacos, green belt, Barton Springs, supportive network of moms and professional women.

What do you miss the most about the Bay Area?

I had a lot of fun with friends and loved the diversity in the Bay Area that is really lacking in Austin. The city is gorgeous and I loved taking public transportation to work, getting that time to myself to read a book, and then walk through the streets to my office. I was in awesome shape.

Angela 37, advertising How long did you live in the Bay...photo-8060729.147640 - |ucfirst

Paul O'Brien

41, venture capital

How long did you live in the Bay Area?

11 years

How long has it been since you left?

7 years

What made you leave the Bay Area?

My family and I weren't born and raised in the Bay Area. For many, the move to Austin is a return to what we really want from life, having experienced the coast.

Are you better off now than when you were living in the Bay Area?

Yes and no. Lifestyle-wise, Austin is much more balanced but that balance is not without costs. Austin is vastly less expensive and without income tax but that's offset by property taxes and horrific transportation and population infrastructure (throughout the state). Texas has room to spread cities, essentially forever, so while one would think there'd already be high speed rail to San Antonio, an hour away, or subway in any of the cities, Texas builds freeways while the cities and developers shun parking.

What do you miss the most about the Bay Area?

An entrepreneurial spirit that favors the inconceivable and a venture capital ecosystem that supports disruptively innovative ideas.

It was about that time to leave the Bay Area to live in a place that is accessible for tech opportunities and to be able to buy a nice home for the cost of a studio apartment in San Francisco.

Are you better off now than when you were living in the Bay Area?

Indeed. We are able to buy a nice home with some property, something we couldn't buy in the Bay Area despite my wife and I making 20 to 30 percent more than average families on the Peninsula. We get to live in a very family-oriented town within 15 miles of downtown ATX.

What do you like most about Austin?

Definitely not the heat/humidity. We love the ability to live a better life and not live for our home.

Do you have plans of ever moving back to the Bay Area?

My wife and I love the Bay, but we have been ruined by seeing what we can have here... and we wouldn't give it up despite our friends and family being back in the Bay.

What do you miss the most about the Bay Area?

Good Asian food, the coast, family and friends, and a Nick's crab sandwich.

Justin 37, CEO and co-founder of a tech company How long...photo-12084422.147640 - |ucfirst

Elizabeth

35, restaurant and food trailer chef

How long did you live in the Bay Area?

4 years

How long has it been since you left?

9 years

What made you leave the Bay Area?

I didn't feel like my life/career was going anywhere in the Bay, and I wanted to go to culinary school in Austin.

Are you better off now than when you were living in the Bay Area?

Financially? Finally getting there. I always made decent money and lived comfortably in the East Bay. I've mostly lived paycheck-to-paycheck in Austin, but now I own my own business and that should change soon.

Yes and no. We are homeowners after being lifelong renters, which is exciting. But my husband had a better salary in San Francisco and great benefits. The pay in Austin hasn't caught up with the rising cost of living, so we are making less money, but living more cheaply. I think it will take a couple of years for everything to settle in financially.

What do you like most about Austin?

I'm a UT alum and have always loved Austin. It has a lot to offer: good schools, friendly people, amazing food, and the laid-back quirky energy. Oh and Barton Springs pool!

What do you miss the most about the Bay Area?

Being able to walk to places and hop on a train to get downtown. Austin doesn't have good public transportation sadly. Oh, and Thai food.

Amy 49, writer/editor How long did you live in the Bay...photo-1602311.147640 - |ucfirst

Benjamin Trotter

38, tech

How long did you live in the Bay Area?

8 Years

How long has it been since you left?

6 years

What made you leave the Bay Area?

Weather, cost of living, taxes, mentality.

Are you better off now than when you were living in the Bay Area?

MUCH SO! Love the weather, cost of living went way down, taxation for my business is $0, many more friends, no one cares about what school you went to, and I actually talk to my neighbors and know them!

Do you have plans of ever moving back to the Bay Area?

Absolutely not.

What do you miss the most about the Bay Area?

The restaurants and geographical beauty. Walking through the hilly streets.

Mas o menos (more or less). We have a nice home where we're not cramped with two kids and there are great public schools. I have a rocking job, but it took a couple of years to find the right opportunity. On the downside, there seems to be lower career mobility, I miss being in a walking city, and the summer heat is brutal.

What do you like most about Austin?

Queso. The Texas 20 is the real deal. Seriously, its easy to live in Austin. People are friendly and everyday stresses are low.

Do you have plans of ever moving back to the Bay Area?

We considered moving back about 1.5 yrs ago for a new job with a better title and more money. We didn't for a couple of reasons but mostly due to the high cost of living for housing, taxes, and schools.